April 29, 2008Save Mart & Lucky Supermarkets Use the Internet to Help Consumers Stretch Their Grocery Dollar

The Stores’ Web sites, www.SaveMart.com and www.LuckySupermarkets.com, Make Saving Money Easy

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Save Mart and Lucky Supermarkets’ Web sites have integrated everything a consumer needs to plan an affordable shopping trip. The Web sites make it easy to create a shopping list using: the interactive weekly circular, hundreds of dollars worth of money saving coupons, recipes that fit specific dietary preferences, and unadvertised specials throughout the stores. No longer does a person have to write a list on the back of an envelope, sort through pages and pages of papers for relevant coupons to clip, and come up with meal ideas; with SaveMart.com and LuckySupermarkets.com planning a shopping trip is as easy as click and save! Once a customer has added all desired items, coupons, and recipe ingredients to the list, one additional click will print out the coupons and the list, with all items sorted by department.

Desiring to create the most advanced Web site of any grocer in California, Save Mart chose to partner with Grocery Shopping Network. Save Mart’s Vice President of Marketing, John Kelly, commented on the partnership, “When we launched our new Web sites we wanted to give our customers the best shopping experience available on the web. It was great working with GSN, their expertise and products have put us ahead of our competition, but most of all, our customers just love using our Web sites.”

Curt Lund, Chief Marketing Officer of the Grocery Shopping Network, stated, “We’re honored to have partners like Save Mart and Lucky Supermarkets that go above and beyond when servicing customers. Thanks to advances in GSN’s proprietary technology, customers can get everything they want in one place at one time…the supermarket’s website. Even managing your diet can be done now on SaveMart.com or LuckySupermarkets.com. Meal planning with a digital shopping list saves time, and with all the sale items and coupons available, it saves a lot of money as well. For customers of Save Mart and Lucky Supermarkets, it really is as easy as click and save!”

About Save Mart

Save Mart Supermarkets was founded January 17, 1952. The privately owned company operates 250 stores throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada under the banners of Save Mart, Lucky, S-Mart Foods, and FoodMaxx.

March 18, 2008Grocery Shopping Network and Upromise, Inc. Join Forces to Make College Dreams a Reality

You can earn free flights and hotel rooms when you shop, why not cash for college? Grocery Shopping Network (GSN), a leading provider of proprietary software to grocery store retailers, announces a new partnership with Upromise® the largest college savings rewards program. Now, at more than 21,000 grocery stores that partner with Upromise and GSN, consumers can not only save money on groceries, they can also earn and save money for college.

Through Upromise's Grocery program, members can earn money back for college when they make everyday purchases on thousands of eligible grocery, health and household items at participating grocery and drug stores. GSN has added new functionality that grocery retailers can offer online to help consumers find products participating in Upromise. As consumers create their shopping lists online via their grocery store Web sites, GSN's software identifies all participating items in the Upromise program, helping consumers to maximize their Upromise earnings.

Grocery Shopping and College Saving Made Simple

GSN-powered grocery store Web sites allow consumers to save money and time by planning their shopping trips online, where they can view circular ads and in-store promotions; build, print and save grocery lists; retrieve and print manufacturer and store coupons; and browse more than 64,000 recipes and 160 cooking videos.

"More shoppers than ever use online tools to plan and execute their shopping chores, and that's why we've developed dynamic online capabilities for grocery store Web sites – to make grocery shopping easier and more convenient than ever," said Andy Robinson, CEO, Grocery Shopping Network. "By partnering with Upromise, we can extend that service by bringing attention to this fantastic organization that is serving an important need – the challenge of paying for college."

"With Grocery Shopping Network's technology it's easier to select and buy Upromise participating products and maximize the opportunity to earn college savings on grocery purchases," said Ronnie Perchik, senior vice president, Upromise. "This program can help Upromise members earn the most college savings for their grocery spending, and spread the word about the importance of saving for college and how participating in Upromise can give you a helping hand." A complete list of grocery stores, corporations and products participating in Upromise can be found at www.upromise.com.

About Upromise

Launched in April 2001, today Upromise is the largest private source of college funding contributions in America, with more than 8 million members and $400 million in member rewards. Membership is free and can help families save money for college while making everyday purchases of products and services at more than 21,000 grocery and drug stores, 14,000 gas stations, 8,000 restaurants, as well as thousands of retail stores, and more than 575 online shopping sites. Upromise partners include Citi®, ExxonMobil Corporation, Bed Bath & Beyond®, McDonald's®, JCPenney.com, LandsEnd.com, Sears.com and hundreds of others. Upromise also makes it easy for families to start their own college savings strategy through tax-advantaged 529 college savings plans offered through Upromise Investments, Inc. or by using Upromise contributions to help pay down eligible student loans. Upromise is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, the nation's leading provider of saving-and-paying-for-college programs. Upromise is headquartered in Newton, Mass., and has more than 350 employees. For additional information, visit www.upromise.com.

About Grocery Shopping Network

Grocery Shopping Network provides grocery retailers' Web sites with a suite of proprietary software products that integrate shopping list building, recipes and meal planning with relevant, focused advertising content. GSN (www.groceryshopping.net) brings together the Web and in-store supermarket shopping experience. A GSN-powered site enables consumers to seamlessly shop their store, be presented with sales and promotions in the context of the items they are planning to purchase, access and save recipes for the items they plan to purchase, plan meals and utilize the many discount offers (including coupons) made available by brand manufacturers.

January 28, 2008Festival Foods Quadruples Web Views with Grocery Shopping Network

Wisconsin-based Festival Foods broke grocery store Web site traffic records last year primarily using Grocery Shopping Network (GSN), a leading provider of proprietary software for grocery store retailers. Total page views of the Festival Foods Web site, FestFoods.com, surpassed 12 million, more than four times the volume it saw in 2006.

GSN is the first grocery store Web platform to offer consumers an integrated online tool for creating grocery lists, accessing manufacturer and in-store coupons and much more. Using the system, FestFoods.com currently attracts approximately 7,000 unique customer visits (per store) at any given time, a 25.7 percent increase from 2006. Additionally, because the service includes consumer customization features designed especially for repeat users, shoppers who begin using the service are likely to return to the retailer's Web site time and time again.

"The grocery industry continues to grow increasingly competitive, yet remains slow to change, even in the online information age," said Tom Wilkolak, CEO, Grocery Shopping Network. "While some of the biggest retailers have the lowest Web site views per store location, GSN-powered grocer Web sites are generating the highest viewership in the industry --a testament to the competitive value that the program provides."

With GSN, grocery consumers shop weekly ads and in-store specials, build shopping lists, plan meals, discover recipes and cooking videos, source dietary guidance and print discount coupons. Additionally, shoppers can save their lists so that each time they log on they can start with a pre-existing list of regularly purchased products and personalized coupons. While GSN offers convenience to consumers, it also gives grocers an abundance of data to help them better track and predict consumer buying behavior. More than a thousand stores across the country are using the GSN service, including 12 Festival Foods locations.

"The partnership between GSN and Festival Foods is the solution that turned FestFoods.com into an integral part of many of our guests' shopping experiences," said Nick Arlt, director of public relations and Internet services, Festival Foods. "Now, we are leading the grocery industry by providing shoppers an interactive shopping tool allowing them to save money in a variety of ways and create a virtual shopping list."

GSN helps transform a retailer's Web site into a virtual version of its brick and mortar store -- one that customers can personalize and bring directly into their homes. For Festival Foods, GSN has helped create personalized virtual stores for each of its 7,000 unique visitors per location. In comparison, many larger retail chains are only able to create 300 virtual stores per location.

"The differentiator is that the GSN solution takes all of our elements that make shopping easy and integrates them in a way that makes the shopper's experience seamless," said Arlt. "It's what keeps them coming back week after week."

November 14, 2007Innovative Grocery Store Web Services Provider Expands Nationally With Pathmark and Giant Foods

VantagePoint Venture Partners Provides Expansion Funding; Early DoubleClick Founder and Former Chairman of MySpace's Parent Intermix Media David Carlick Joins the Board

Grocery Shopping Network (GSN), a leading provider of proprietary software to grocery store retailers, announced that it will expand its unique Web-based program to all Pathmark and Giant Foods stores. GSN software supports grocers' Web sites, enabling them to provide their customers with innovative, online time and money-saving features such as the ability to view circular ads and in-store promotions; build, print and save grocery lists; retrieve and print manufacturer and store coupons; and browse more than 64,000 recipes and 160 cooking videos.

GSN has successfully implemented its program with several regional grocers, including California-based Save Mart, Virginia-based Ukrop's and Wisconsin-based Festival Foods. In each case, retailers have reported high levels of customer participation and significant increases in sales. With the addition of all Pathmark stores and Giant Foods, GSN-supported Web sites will serve more than 1,000 stores across the country and have the potential of reaching more than 10 million consumers/households.

"Grocery Shopping Network is simplifying the shopping experience for customers and transforming the way grocery retailers and consumer packaged goods companies interact with their customers," said Tom Wilkolak, CEO, Grocery Shopping Network. "Consumers no longer need to fumble with clipping coupons or keep track of handwritten shopping lists. Product promotions and discounts are relevant to a customer's shopping history, and as a result, they are more loyal to their store and more likely to try new products and services."

"Grocery Shopping Network's services have helped us increase sales and build greater customer loyalty," said Dick Rinehart, owner, Dick's Fresh Markets. "As the grocery industry grows increasingly competitive, the GSN system is allowing us to gain greater basket share while providing a more enjoyable shopping experience for the customer." Rinehart has more than 25 years of experience in the grocery industry, and serves as an independent store advisor to SuperValu.

To help fund the expansion and develop new services and applications, VantagePoint Venture Partners has provided $7 million in equity financing. VantagePoint is a leading venture capital firm focused on investments in bold, entrepreneurial companies with ideas that will transform their industries. Additionally, David Carlick, managing director of VantagePoint, has joined GSN's board of directors. Carlick, a widely recognized leader in online media and marketing, was an early co-founder of DoubleClick and former chairman of MySpace.com's parent company, Intermix Media.

"When I saw what GSN offers to consumers, their grocers and food companies, I could say after years of investing, I have finally found the best thing since sliced bread," said Carlick. "For the growing number of consumers who shop first by using their computer, GSN brings grocery shopping to their screens in a way that is almost magical."

Chicago-based investment banking firm Houlihan Smith & Company served as financial advisor.

In addition, GSN has six patents published.

September 26, 2007Paper or Silicon?

Amazon.com Inc. recently launched an online grocery store in the Seattle area, testing a model that fizzled during the dot-com bust but has revived in recent years. Now brick-and-mortar supermarkets are increasingly paying attention to the Internet as a way to drive customers to their stores.

One company, Grocery Shopping Network Inc., is selling software that lets grocers enhance their Web sites with a variety of services. Customers can create shopping lists, find recipes and access meal-planning services. The software also points shoppers in the direction of coupons and advertising based on what items they plan to purchase. The company says 70% of customers visiting a site that uses its software make shopping lists, and 94% of the items placed on the lists are eventually purchased.

PathMark Stores Inc. and Giant Brands Inc. are among the grocers who have integrated the software into their sites. Grocery Shopping Network earns revenue from licensing the software and from advertisers. The Minneapolis start-up ended 11 bootstrapping years by raising an $8.05 million Series A investment last month, led by VantagePoint Venture Partners.

August 16, 2007GSN Drives Website Traffic

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to generate awareness of your website. Use tactics like these to boost traffic:

In-store coupon: Offer a high-value coupon obtainable only at your website. Example: $5 off with a $35 or $50 qualifying purchase. Use the newly enhanced and integrated In-Store coupon administration functionality to build your coupon.

Build a shopping list promotion: Incent your shoppers to make a shopping list online, print it, and redeem it at checkout. Using their printed list as the entry form, hold a prize drawing or sweepstakes.

GSN can assist in your marketing efforts. For example, we can help insert a promotional message and bar code on the header of the printed shopping list. Call us for more ideas – we’ve got lots of them.

August 16, 2007GSN Continues to Grow

Investors love GSNConnect almost as much as shoppers do. Their strong financial support reflects the industry-wide recognition GSN has won for connecting grocers and shoppers in ways that benefit both parties.

The combination of investor, retailer and brand support has enabled GSNConnect to claim a unique position of leadership in grocery store web marketing. Moreover, it has laid the foundation for continuous improvement and long-term growth.

As household broadband approaches 70% penetration and an internet-savvy generation begins to raise families, GSN’s proprietary solutions enable grocers to reach their most important shoppers with the right message, in the right place, at the right time.